Zero - Ally
The sport of being outraged at the behaviours and actions of footballers and football clubs is widespread. Especially amongst what pass to be journalists writing for the gutter press of Glasgow. This is never truer than when they are writing about Aberdeen F. C. and after the Cup Final that never was, it seems that one of their favourite targets is going to be Hicham Zerouali.
Zero's heinous crime is that he showed passion for his team and his club. Okay, he showed it in the form of petulance when he volleyed a ball in to the top corner of our dugout after the huns planted their fourth goal in the back of Robbie Winters net. So what? For my money, Zero is a player who feels it deeply when he is not involved in a game and has no chance of playing a part in turning things our way. That is a sentiment that is to be applauded and it would be great to see more of our players getting sufficiently lathered up and demonstrating that they care about what is happening to the team.
We have one player - one player - who wants to really build a special relationship with the fans. Who? Why Zerouali of course. There are others who are popular enough, but not who will go to the lengths that Zero does to share his passion with the punters. More power to his elbow then.
Ebbe Skovdahl has his head screwed on when it comes to working with players, he will find a way to harness Zero's energy and ability and mold it into the Dons' team for next season. Some of that work needs to be done with other players, though. The rest of the team need to balance their approach and make sure that whilst they do involve Zero in matches, they don't do it to the exclusion of all other tactics. It's time for the good spells of play from this past season to become the norm and let the dross fade away to become nothing but sour memories.
Selfishly, I hope that Zero doesn't get too many calls to play for Morocco next season, he needs an extended run with the Dandies so that he can get properly settled in and bring us the dazzling array of skills that he is capable of delivering.
Old Beach Ender